Indian police arrest monk suspected of abusing children

55-year-old monk Bhante Sangh Priya, a Bangladeshi national, is escorted by police after being arrested in Bodh Gaya, in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, Thursday, Aug. 30, 2018. Police say they have arrested the monk suspected of sexually abusing children at a Buddhist shelter and meditation center in eastern India. (AP Photo/Manoj Kumar)

PATNA, India — Police have arrested a monk suspected of sexually abusing children at a Buddhist shelter and meditation center in eastern India, an official said Thursday.

Police officer Ram Kumar Chaudhary said the 55-year-old monk, a Bangladeshi national, was arrested on Wednesday in Bodh Gaya, a prominent Buddhist pilgrimage site in Bihar state.

He said police registered a criminal case against the monk, Bhante Sangh Priya, and were questioning 15 boys aged 10 to 12, some of whom complained to their parents about the monk's behavior.

Bodh Gaya is known for the Mahabodhi Temple Complex marking the site where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. It is 110 kilometers (70 miles) south of Patna, the state capital.